Fashion Statement (Pickpockets 1)
Our newest members of the Sczarni Parker, Jack, and Kostin all go on their first job. New Blood After a weekend of celebrations for joining the family each of our pickpockets get a letter from Tzeitel, asking them to meet her at Varisian Ink her tattoo parlour. Being menaces to the town while making their way the meeting ground, Parker and Jack have an interesting stand off where Parker fails to learn not to take things from friends. Upon entering the sitting room where Tzeitel is busy setting up magical effects for one thing or another, Kostin rushes in just barely in time as everyone sits down for their assignment which is very simple. Since they're new to the Sczarni, Tzeitel needs them to each bring 100 GP by the end of the week failure is not an option. After a short conversation she shoos them out into the streets to be little hellions all by themselves. Gathering Information Kostin and Jack together figured that either the Rusty Dragon or the Fatmans Feedbag would both be good places to pick up jobs. The Feedbag for Sczarni connections and the Dragon due to it's popularity. Kostin also remembered a couple other facts such as the streets being awash with bards trying to live up to Cirque De Slay's Festival performance, and a certain sculptor named Arian Asandre. Arian Asandre was a very talented and popular sculptor living in sandpoint both because of her work and her reputation. It was generally known around town that she was fairly easy to trick, selling her sculptures for much lower than their actual price and clumsy to boot. Within the Sczarni though it was also known that Tzeitel despised the woman, most likely due to a conflict of romance a few years ago. With that information in hand the group decided to split to further investigate, Parker heading to the Craft Box (Arians Workshop) to case the place, while Kostin and Jack headed to the Rusty Dragon to see what they could find there. Parker learned the basic layout of the building, managing to climb around without garnering too much attention. Kostin and Jack in the meantime found a few interesting people at the Dragon including Orik drinking early in the morning, Yolan wolfing away at his breakfast, and another mysterious woman sitting in the corner while calmly eating her breakfast. When Parker arrived she was instantly drawn to the woman in the corner trying to shake off that feeling while attempting to blend in. Kostin and Jack had talked to Yolan who had informed them of his previous jobs taking coin from Arian and how she was easily swayed by someone tall dark and handsome. They also learned of the large safe in her shop holding unknown riches inside yet that it was extremely difficult to crack. In the meantime Parker sidled over to the young woman, making small talk while picking her pocket and coming out with a Gem of Genderswap. She asked if Parker knew anyone named Jarga (the Sczarni's spymaster) and after denying it Parker fled back to the group who were making plans for a hit on the craft box. The group swung by Igors place for further information (pointed out by Yolan) and found him in his shop with smoke billowing out as usual. Igor didn't know much about the layout of the shop itself but he did know the lock on the safe was near impossible to pick. Pointing out that Vistina (the towns best pickpocket) would most likely be the groups best bet of getting into the safe, Igor also offered to buy the large statue Arian had just finished for a high price. With that the gang headed towards the feedbag to find Vistina, in the middle of a contest of darts. After impressing her with their aim Vistina agreed to participate in the Job if she got 25% from the final cut of the safe. Giving them further information as to the layout of the shop, and the fact that Tzeitel was furious about a new dress Arian had bought (and rubbed into Tzeitels face) she also suggested to trash the place while stealing the dress. The group made arrangements for a cart and horse to be prepared to get the statue to Igor, and Parker while changing her/his gender went to seduce Asandre. Plans in Motion Getting into place Parker easily convinced Arian to head upstairs with him/her, schmoozing his way into convincing Arian to try somthing "new" and as such removing her as a threat. In the meantime Kostin and Jack broke into the ground floor sizing up the place, gathing what loot they could find and bringing the cart around back to get the statue (which was surprisingly light and warm to the touch) into the cart. Dropping off the statue while Parker watched the place, Jack got ahold of Vistina and then together they all managed to get her safe open, to find the entirety of her life savings. With the job done the gang trashed the place, sneaking off into the night and being sure to leave a note at the Tetra about some interesting news they might want to be present for in the morning. The next day as they were heading off to pay Tzeitel, Parker was sure to grab some breakfast and a Newspaper featuring last nights antics and the compromisible situation Arian was left in. Tzeitel was extremely pleased with their work, giving them much praise and a new job directly from Jubrayl. Borek Vonbron the owner of the local bowling alley hadn't been paying his dues, and was now threatening to go to the town gaurd while taking some others needing to pay their dues with him. He had evidence of certain sczarni operations as well as some other delicate information in his office which Tzeitel needed them to get their hands on before Vonbron was aware and could either burn it or sneak it away. With that she handed them a bottle of ether and told them to get the job done. Let's Go Bowling Cousin! Casing out the bowling alley was fairly simple. The gang went in for a game, amazed by everything going on in the building. Going up to the counter they traded their shoes (after some serious arguing) and went up to an alley where parker immedietly threw a bowling ball down the lane... overhand. This managed to leave a dent in the floor, and the two bruisers where called to throw Parker out. Jack and Kostin Vanished into the crowd making their way out, while Parker managed to smchooze her way out of trouble while sneaking out with a bowling ball herself. Jack on his own decided to sneak around the back to find out anything else about the building and instead discovered the latent powers inside his cloak of whispers. After that interesting case the gang grouped back up outside deciding to hit the place at night, when the bruisers and manager were closing the place up. They found a back door in the alley filled with cigarrette butts and set their trap their. Jack was on the building across the way, his bow pointed at the door while Parker was ontop of the building over said door, holding the bowling ball at the ready. Kostin was to be a distraction, offering some ether tainted cigs to the bruisers and having rag prepared if push came to shove. The thugs came out all according to plan, and Kostin walked by, offering them free smokes with them none the wiser. Both ended up woozy but neither dropped, Jack let loose his arrow nicking one on the cheek while parker dropped his bowling ball landing it squarely on the other thugs head crushing his neck immediately. Kostin jumped into action, knocking the other out with ether as both Parker and Jack moved to the roof entrance to find a way into the building there. Kostin went through the back door, dragging the bodies with him and circumventing a trap on an inner door into the store house. Jack and Parker monkeyed around in the rafters as all of them saw light coming from another door. It sounded as if somone was shuffling inside moving papers around, and the gang moved into position for another trap. Parker knocked on the door and as Vonbron walked through, Kostin brought him down with Ether. The gang tied him up while Kostin investigated the office finding the required papers as well as an extra letter made out to "Holly", Jack and Parker in the meantime found a huge cache in the storehouse of weapons and gear, enough to field a small army. At this point Tzeitel walked in asking them what they found. Kostin passed on the papers and after reading the letter Tzeitel became very angry ordering the pickpockets to wake vonbron up and get whatever information they could out of him after storming out to find Jubrayl. After a process of waking him up, terrorizing the man, and finding out as much as he knew about Holly (she was Jubrayls former lover, believed dead, and now out to kill Jubrayl and Tzeitel. She had been supporting Vonbron and getting him to move weapons for her and that's all he knew.) Jubrayl walked in shortly afterwards gripping him by the neck as he was informed of what Vonbron had just said. He then knocked the man cold by slamming his head into the wall and ordered the place burned to the ground. The gang followed his orders, continuing even after Vonbron woke up, taking their loot with them as his screams followed them. With that the group disbanded for the night, Parker doubling back to offer some chestnuts to Jubrayl as he watched the Bowling Alley burn to the ground.